How workers died last week: Two hospital workers killed, machinery, forklift, logging and vehicle incidents, falls, shootings. On average, over 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work. More than 20 times as many die from occupational diseases, many due to exposure to hazardous substances many years before they died. The few narratives below (gathered from almost 100 Google News searches) do not come close to capturing the full toll that work takes on the working people of this country. Nevertheless the accounts below gave you a taste of the preventable carnage occurring in workplaces across the country every day.
Hospital employee dead after stabbing at Hawaii State Hospital
KANEOHE, Hawaii — A 29-year-old hospital employee was stabbed to death by a patient at the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe. Honolulu Emergency Medical Services say the man was dead on arrival, with multiple stab wounds, including to his neck. According to EMS, the man was found just after 5 p.m. at 47-710 Keaahala Road in Kaneohe, the address for the Hawaii State Hospital. hospital employee was stabbed to death Tommy Kekoa Carvalho was considered clinically sane and ready to transition back into the community when he snapped. “We did not see evidence that this was going to happen,” said Hawaii State Hospital Administrator Kenneth Luke. “This seemed to be an unanticipated and unprovoked incident.” Carvalho was discharged from the Hawaii State Hospital back in August and was living in state-run transitional housing when police say he stabbed 29-year-old Justin Bautista multiple times. Bautista was pronounced dead at the scene.
Work resumes at Montana mine where 24-year-old worker was killed in accident
NYE, Montana — An employee of a mine contractor died Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, at the Stillwater Mine while working to prepare an area for future mining. The man was bolting up wire panels to prevent falling rock when the accident happened, officials said. The man’s death is still under investigation. Work has resumed at a precious metals mine in south-central Montana a day after a 24-year-old worker died in an underground machinery accident, mine officials said. Noah Dinger of Post Falls, Idaho, died just before 1:30 a.m. Monday when he was operating a machine that bolts wire panels onto the stone walls of an underground area to prevent falling rock during future mining, said Heather McDowell, a vice president with Sibanye Stillwater, the owner of the Stillwater Mine near Nye. Dinger worked for mine contractor Moran Mining of Canada.
61-year-old man dies after falling from plant platform in north Alabama industrial accident
Boaz, AL — A 61-year-old man died at the hospital after he fell from an elevated platform at a north Alabama plant Thursday, the Marshall County coroner said. Jerry Brown, 61, fell from the platform inside Kabco Builders in Boaz, said Coroner Cody Nugent. Brown was taken to the Marshall Medical Center South Emergency Room after the industrial accident. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. No other people at the Boaz plant were injured, Nugent said.
Illinois John Deere worker dies following workplace accident
Milan, IL — Anthony S. “Tony” LeCleir, 55 of Davenport, Iowa, tragically died on November 7 as a result of injuries sustained in a workplace accident on October 20 at John Deere’s North American Parts Distribution Center (PDC) in Milan, Illinois. LeCleir had worked for Deere, the global agricultural and heavy equipment giant, for 19 years and was a member of United Auto Workers Local 79. According to the worker, LeCleir was injured when a forklift caught the vehicle he was near. “He got crushed waist down by a forklift that was going around a pallet on the floor. He caught his cart and didn’t realize it, so he just kept going and it smashed him between the cart and TD [Taylor Dunn, a type of industrial vehicle]. It crushed his tailbone and pelvic bone in half.” Following the accident, LeCleir spent weeks at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City before succumbing to his injuries.
Employee shot, killed in Dollar General parking lot in north Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. — A man is in custody after an incident at a north Tulsa Dollar General where he shot and killed an employee early Monday morning. Thomas Lee Knox, 38, was arrested and will be booked into Tulsa County Jail. The incident happened just after midnight Monday morning. FOX23 was on scene outside the store at Pine and Yale where deputies say Knox initially got away. Deputies say that the victim, identified as 46-year-old Paul Nelson Schultz, was homeless and living in a tent outside the store. “The victim is well known in this area. He works at the store, but he is homeless and there is a tent located just behind me where he lived,” said Casey Roebuck with TCSO. Deputies say Schultz was sitting in the parking lot just after midnight when Knox drove up and got in some sort of argument with him before shooting him and driving off. Schultz was taken to the hospital where he died an hour later.
Security officer killed in shooting at state hospital in Concord, NH
CONCORD, N.H. – A security officer and former police chief was shot and killed Friday when a suspect opened fire in the lobby area of a psychiatric hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, officials said. The shooting happened at New Hampshire Hospital and ended when a state police trooper fatally shot the suspect, according to New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark Hall. Hall said the state police trooper who ultimately shot the suspect was already at the hospital and “immediately engaged” the suspect. The entire incident was contained in the hospital lobby, according to Hall. While the shooting victim was given CPR and taken to nearby Concord Hospital, Hall said he was later pronounced dead. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office identified the victim as Bradley Haas, 63, of Franklin, New Hampshire. A former chief of police in Franklin, Haas was working as a New Hampshire Department of Safety security officer when he was killed, the Attorney General’s office said.
Road crew worker killed when dump truck backs up over him, SC coroner says
Oconee County, SC — A South Carolina man working on a road crew was killed Wednesday when he was hit by dump truck going in reverse, the Oconee County Coroner’s Office said. Joe Milton Bridges, Jr., a 58-year-old Liberty resident, died at the scene, Coroner Karl Addis said. The collision happened at about 9 a.m. on S.C. 11 in Oconee County, according to Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Bridges was working for King Asphalt in a highway resurfacing construction zone on S.C. 11, near the intersection with Fire Station Road, Addis said. Bridges was described as a pedestrian when he was hit by a 2017 Kenworth dump truck that was backing up in the southbound lane, according to Ridgeway.
Texas correctional officer dies while restraining inmate
LOVELADY, Texas — A corrections officer died while restraining an inmate, KTRK reports. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said on Monday night, Correctional Officer Jovian Motley, 27, was helping other officers restrain an inmate at the Wainwright Unit when he died. No other details surrounding his death were released. Motley had joined the agency in October 2022.
Driver crushed to death by garbage truck after leaving it in neutral
HOUSTON, TX — A garbage truck driver was killed Monday after being crushed to death in southeast Houston. Police said the driver appeared to have accidentally left the truck in neutral when they got out and walked to the front of the vehicle along Wayside Drive near Harrisburg Boulevard. Police said they got their first call about the incident around 2:40 p.m. They said the truck rolled forward and crushed the driver, who died at the scene.
Logger dies after being hit by falling tree in Eastern Kentucky
Breathit County, KY — A logger died while working in Breathitt County Thursday afternoon, Kentucky State Police said. Taylor Neace Jr., 40, of Lost Creek, was cutting a tree when it fell and hit him, according to a news release from state police. State police said they were called to the job site on Williams Road in the Vancleve community at 2:56 p.m. Emergency medical personnel also responded. The Breathitt County Coroner’s Office pronounced Neace dead at the scene.
Eden Stone employee dies after piece of stone saw falls on him while unloading semitruck
Eden, WI — A employee of Eden Stone was killed Friday afternoon after a large steel piece of a new stone saw fell on him while it was being unloaded from a semitruck, according to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office. The 50-year-old West Bend man was working with other employees at Eden Stone Company, N4500 County V in the Town of Eden, shortly before 4 p.m. when the piece of steel became unstable and tipped on its side trapping him. Employees were able to free the man from being trapped within seconds of the accident, and staff subsequently started CPR before first responders arrived, according to Sgt. Andrew Kohlmann. When deputies arrived, the man had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. Additional life-saving measures were attempted, but were not successful.
Construction worker, 19, killed by father in tragic construction mishap identified by police
EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan, NY — A 19-year-old construction worker was fatally struck by a mobile hydraulic lift Friday morning, police say. The victim was directing his father, the cherry picker operator, through an intersection in the East Village shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to police. The victim has been identified by police as Ommatt Cruz. Cruz was attempting to guide his father onto a flatbed truck through the busy intersection at First Avenue and East 7th Street, police say. Cruz was then apparently run over by the lift, operated by his father, eyewitnesses say.
Truck Driver Killed After Exiting Vehicle
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A truck driver was hit and killed on 465 westbound Monday. ISP Sgt said the accident happened near the off-ramp from Allisonville Road. State Police Sergeant John Perrine says a semi lost a wheel, leading to a subsequent car hitting the wheel, which became trapped underneath. “A semi had lost a wheel; the entire front came off and was in the travel lane,” said Perrine. “That semi pulled into the gore point of the ramp, between the main line and the ramp, out of the roadway. Another vehicle came along and hit that wheel. Once they hit the wheel, they lost control and struck a person who was standing outside of that truck.” Perrine says drivers should never exit their vehicle on the highway after they are involved in an accident.
Michaels’ valet worker dies after getting shot twice in West Houston
HOUSTON, TX – The Houston Police Department is investigating a shooting of a valet worker at Michael’s near 8609 Pagewood Lane on Sunday in a parking lot. Police say around 4 a.m., officers discovered a 30-year-old man, identified as a valet worker, fatally shot. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting began when a person crashed in the parking lot. The valet worker took one of the drivers involved in the accident to the location, as they planned to pay for the damages, according to authorities. Police believe the valet worker had escorted the person to the parking lot while the other driver involved in the incident went inside the club. However, during that time, another person arrived and attempted to rob the valet worker at gunpoint. During the robbery attempt, the gunman shot the valet worker twice, pulled him out of a car, and began rummaging through his clothing, according to police.
Tow truck driver killed in hit and run crash on southbound I-95 in Miami area
Miami, FL — The driver of a Nissan SUV crashed into a tow truck, hitting its driver who was standing on the roadway tending to a disabled car on Interstate 95 southbound near 62nd Street. The driver of the tow truck was killed and police are now investigating the fatal accident as a hit-and-run. The Nissan driver abandoned the car and ran away, said Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alejandro Camacho. The accident happened around 4:35 a.m. Saturday on southbound I-95 in the area of State Road 112. According to Camacho, the tow truck was parked on the right emergency shoulder assisting a disabled white Cadillac. The tow truck driver was standing outside of that Cadillac when an oncoming gray Nissan SUV crashed into the tow truck and fatally wounded the man.
Ariz. Border Patrol agent killed in ATV crash
TUCSON, Ariz. — A U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed in a vehicle crash while responding to a call on Nov. 14, KOLD reported. According to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, Agent Freddy Ortiz crashed his ATV into a light pole while responding to a call reporting suspected undocumented immigrants, according to the report. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Ortiz was 44 years old and had served in the U.S. Border Patrol for 13 years. Ortiz was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
FDNY member dies after suffering cardiac arrest on the job
BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A FDNY emergency medical technician died while on duty in the Bronx, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced on Friday. Frederick D. Whiteside, 43, went into cardiac arrest while working at a New York City 911 dispatch center. Whiteside was an FDNY veteran of 22 years, officials said. Whiteside was appointed to the FDNY in April 2002. He spent much of his career serving in the Bronx and Brooklyn, working in EMS Division 2 and EMS Division 3. Whiteside had been working at the dispatch center since 2019.
Truck driver killed, 3 others injured in related traffic accidents, Athens police say
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A semi-truck driver was killed and another man was injured Tuesday evening as they were crossing an Athens road to check on another driver, Athens police said. According to police, the driver of a 2002 Chevy Malibu, 30-year-old Jasmine Littlejohn of Athens, pulled into the path of a 2014 International semi-truck driven by Quentin Williams, 31, of Athens, who was headed north on Commerce Road. Both vehicles “came to rest in the Commerce Road turn lane at the intersection,” police said. Williams wasn’t injured, and he exited his truck and crossed the street to a safer location, the Shell gas station parking lot at 1790 Commerce Road, according to police. Police said Williams’ co-worker, 59-year-old Robert White of Watkinsville, joined Williams at the parking lot shortly afterward. Witnesses said they both decided to walk across Commerce Road to check on Littlejohn. A northbound Chevy Tahoe hit Williams and White as they were crossing the road, police said. Emergency responders took Littlejohn, Williams and White to the hospital, where Williams died from his injuries. White was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Littlejohn had serious injuries and is in critical condition.
Mail truck driver dies after crashing into utility pole in Colerain Township, police say
Colerain Township, OH — A mail truck driver has died after crashing into a utility pole in Colerain Township on Monday, officials said. Colerain Township police officers responded around 10:42 a.m. to the crash in the 2900 block of West Galbraith Road, police said in a news release Wednesday. Andrew Donisi, 38, was removed from the truck and the Colerain Township Fire Department took him to Mercy West Hospital where he later died. Officials said it appears Donisi suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash.
Prairie View A&M Employee Shot and Killed on Campus
Prairie View, Texas — An employee of Prairie View A&M University was shot and killed on campus by a former employee, according to a message to the campus community from President Tomikia LeGrande. Kendrick Wilder, 31, was working on a campus farm Monday morning when a former co-worker drove up and allegedly shot him multiple times, Chron.com reported. The shooting led to a temporary shelter-in-place order at the Texas HBCU. University police tried to revive Wilder at the scene but were unsuccessful. The suspect, Devon Elliott Rhodes, was arrested on campus and charged with murder.
OSHA investigating death at Fed-Ex site in Kingman
KINGMAN, AZ — A workplace fatality recently occurred at the Kingman Airport Industrial Park, but information is pretty scarce beyond that. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration confirmed it is investigating the fatality on Fed-Ex property on Tuesday, Nov. 14. OSHA spokesman Trevor Laky said he can provide no information other than it is investigating the incident.
Accident at Safe Harbor construction zone in Port Royal leaves one worker dead
Port Royal, SC — A worker at a Port Royal construction site died Tuesday morning after getting pinned between a steel mold and a large section of concrete in a construction zone off Paris Avenue across from Port Royal Town Hall. The pinned worker was freed and transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he died, according to the Beaufort County Coroner’s office. The Coroner’s Office identified the man as 21-year-old George Rundell from St. Petersburg, Fla.
CB truck driver killed in Fremont County wreck
Fremont County, IA – A Council Bluffs man was killed following a rollover accident in Fremont County Tuesday afternoon. The Iowa State Patrol says law enforcement responded to a wreck on 370th Avenue just south of 150th Street, approximately 10 miles northwest of Shenandoah, around 12:10 p.m. The patrol says a 2019 Mack Semi driven by 67-year-old James Herman Kinney was northbound on 370th when it partially left the roadway, traveling on the right shoulder for several hundred feet. The driver corrected and the weight of the trailer shifted, causing the semi to overturn. Kinney was taken by Shenandoah Rescue to Shenandoah Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. Multiple sheriff’s departments and Shenandoah Rescue assisted the patrol at the scene.
Nebraska truck driver killed Tuesday night in Steuben County crash
STEUBEN COUNTY, IN (WTVB) – A Nebraska truck driver was killed Tuesday night in a crash on U.S. 20 in western Steuben County. The Steuben County Sheriff’s Department says the crash was reported about 7:15 p.m. after a semi-tractor trailer went off the road and overturned near an embankment. It was also reported that 62-year-old Thomas Jamrock of Omaha was possibly trapped inside the vehicle. An initial crash scene investigation indicated that Jamrock was traveling west on US 20 driving a blue 2012 Freightliner semi-tractor pulling a Great Dane box trailer loaded with wire. As he was negotiating a curve, his vehicle left the travel portion of the road due to apparent excessive speed and collided with a guardrail.
“Outgoing, bright, and caring”: Community leader reacts after 18-year-old killed at Amazon facility
JACKSONVILLE, Ark. – Loved ones and community members are heartbroken after the death of an 18-year-old who was shot and killed Monday at an Amazon fulfillment center in Little Rock. Officials with the Little Rock Police Department said that officers responded to the shooting at 7001 Zeuber Road at 2:07 a.m. After arriving on the scene, police said that Xanus Robinson was found with gunshot wounds. Robinson was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Chicago Firefighter Dies After Falling Through Light Shaft While Battling Blaze
CHICAG0, IL — A Chicago firefighter died Monday from injuries he suffered when he fell through a light shaft at a burning building, officials said. Andrew “Drew” Price, 39, was helping battle a fire at a four-story building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood that began about 6 a.m., Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said. Price was on the roof opening up holes for ventilation when he fell through a light shaft while putting out hot spots, Nance-Holt said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.